Out of the Dark
by irishcookie
Summary: Written in May 2011, AU of the S2 finale: Jenna's saviour is not who she expected, but perhaps it is who she needs  Elijah/Jenna, but not a romance


**Out of the Dark**

**Author's Note: This was written in May 2011 by a gal (that's me) hurting from the loss of Jenna. I like her spunky attitude and I was saddened by the loss of her potential (because I don't think the writers ever took the time to fully develop her). Also, as a fan of crackships, for a time Elijah/Jenna was my favorite. I never posted this here and I now I am – so to all those who miss Jenna, I hope you enjoy! **

Surprisingly it is Elijah who proves to be her saviour.

Jenna Sommers - plucked from the brink of final death by the Salvatore brothers and then cast aside in favour of comforting her niece.

It is not as if Jenna does not understand. They love Elena, and she is reeling with all that has happened. She needs them.

But Jenna is confused.

There are so many different processes going on inside her body. As she sits in the Salvatore boarding house, she is overwhelmed by it all. Hushed whispers sound like screams. The lights are too bright and she squints in a desperate attempt to block them out. When Bonnie offers to get a blanket (for she must be shivering, she hasn't even noticed), she is appalled by the realization that she can see the blood moving beneath the teenager's skin.

Where is Alaric? Where is Jeremy? Hell, even John. She knows they have all survived Klaus' attempt to break the curse. Why aren't they helping her? Why does she feel so utterly alone?

Her heightened senses alert her to his presence before she actually sees him.

Seemingly appearing from nowhere, Elijah stands in front of her, looking down at her with a coldness that has not been present in their earlier meetings. Of course, then she didn't know that he was playing a role, and that she was merely a means to an end. The knowledge of what he is, of what is capable of, inspires the desire to flee in her.

Before she can move, he speaks. "You must be hungry."

It is not a question – it is a statement of fact. He produces a blood bag. The very sight of it brings an unpleasant ache in her mouth and before she can digest the implications, she has ripped it from his hands. Despite her intense longing to consume every last drop, she expects it to taste revolting. As the cold liquid slides down her throat, she finds it to be the exact opposite. Never has she tasted something sweeter.

Like a glutton, she drinks deeply until she feels a hand on her head, twisting through her hair. Her head jerks back and she is surprised at how little it hurts. She does however snarl, an instinct that she does not even know she possesses taking over.

"You will make yourself sick," Elijah tells her, not phased in the least by her reaction. He extracts the bag from fingers that clutch it so tightly it nearly rips in the process. He then unwinds his hand from her hair. Without another word, he leaves the room.

The lights do not appear so bright and she is able to tune out the sounds of Stefan telling Elena that everything will be alright.

From then on, Jenna recognizes that she is the elephant in the room.

No one is quite sure what to do with her, how to approach her, what to say to her.

They do not go out of their way to avoid her but when they do speak to her, it is strained. Even Elena, who had embraced her tightly moments after they had been saved, now holds back. Stefan makes sure she is comfortable, and well fed but he does not linger, doesn't try to offer the same words of comfort he offers Elena.

Even Alaric looks at her differently. She wonders if he sees Isobel in her now. She wants to tell him that she is not the demon his wife was – but she can't, for she knows the monster is there, lurking inside of her, desperate to claw its way out.

She has taken to spending time in one of the many guest rooms of the expansive house. She pulls the drapes shut and sits in darkened silence. She finds it a fitting setting to mourn all that she has lost.

On her second day in self-imposed solitude, Elijah finds her. She knows he is there before he reveals himself for his scent is imprinted in her memory. Wordlessly, he crosses the room and pulls back the drapes. She flinches, expecting the burning sting of the sun.

Instead moonlight cascades over the floor, reaching her in her position on the bed. She has lost track of time.

"Come," Elijah says.

She does as he says without a second thought. By the time she has crossed the room, he has thrown open the window. She thinks she sees a ghost of a smile on his face before he disappears. She leans out the window, her eyes finding him standing on the ground looking up at her. Her eyebrows furrow together.

"Come," he repeats.

It takes Jenna a moment to realize that she won't break if she jumps. There are still some vestiges of her human side that desperately cling to her. She pushes them aside and leaps.

Her landing is far from graceful, and it feels like the air has been sucked from her body.  
>He does not comment on it, merely offers her his hand. When she is righted, he begins to walk. She has no choice but to follow. He leads her away from the house with its bright lights and strained conversations. He stops when they are deep in the woods and turns so suddenly that she jumps back.<p>

"Do you wish to die, Jenna?" He asks.

For the first time, she is truly afraid of him. He could so easily end it all for her. If she runs, she wonders how far she will get before he catches her. He is eyeing her expectantly and so she answers clearly. "No."

"Then stop acting as if you do," he instructs.

"I am not," she counters immediately.

"They only walk on eggshells around you because you let them. You have placed a wall around yourself and they do not wish to intrude. Your refusal to accept the situation will end with you alone, Jenna."

Her reaction is immediate. She can feel the overwhelming anger threaten to take control.

The monster within her is begging to be set free. "Excuse me for mourning the loss of everything I have ever known."

Again, her rage proves to do little to impress him. He steps closer so there is a fraction of space between them. She watches as his eyes search her face, taking in the outward signs of what lies beneath. "While it is true that you have lost much, it is time for you to realize what you have gained." He touches her now, his hand brushing the hair from her face. She shudders a little as her eyes fall closed, and she resists the urge to lean into his hand. She has not realized how deprived she has let herself become.

"What do you hear, Jenna?"

She knows he wants her to let the vampire take over. She opens her eyes to find him staring intently at her. She does as he wishes and finally lets go. She is so immediately overwhelmed that her eyes squeeze shut and she shudders. His hands are on her shoulders, moving slowly down her arms. It serves to ground her.

"What do you hear?"

"Everything." It is the truth. She can hear the wind through the trees, the rush of a river hidden by the forest, and even the scurry of a tiny creature as it searches for food. Unlike the house, where she was desperate to tune out everything, she found herself wanting more.

"And what do you see?"

Jenna slowly opens her eyes, looking past him. Everything is sharp, so clear, even in the dim light. She can see details only before imagined.

"What do you see?"

She looks back to him, eyes wide with the new information they are receiving. "Everything," she answers immediately. She feels like a newborn child – discovering the world around her for the first time. It is both terrifying and exhilarating.

"If the days comes in which you do not wish this to be the case, I give you my word that I will make it so. For now, Jenna, stop holding on so tightly to what was and instead embrace what could be." Elijah's hand fall from her arms and he steps back.

She wonders why he has pushed through the wall he has claimed she has set up. Maybe there is guilt within him, for what Klaus has done to her. Or perhaps, he feels a connection – for it is his brother's blood that runs through her veins. She tilts her head studying him just as he studies her. She supposes she should thank him, but somehow she thinks he already knows.

She flexes her newfound abilities and a moment later is standing in front of the boarding house. She glances up at the clear sky just as the front door opens. Stefan appears, Elena standing behind him. Both of them regard her with frank curiosity. "Jenna?"

Elijah appears beside her, glancing down at Jenna who is still gazing skyward. "Stefan, Elena, where were we?"

The next morning, Jenna ventures downstairs, pressing against walls and skipping through shadows until she comes to stand in the entrance of the living room. Everyone is there – Alaric, Jeremy, John, Stefan, Damon, Bonnie, Elena, Elijah. Although they appear in deep conversation, no doubt figuring what they can do to stop Klaus from trying again, they all stop to look at her.

She takes a deep breath, a human reflex she supposes, and steps into the room. "Good morning," she whispers and her keen hearing picks up the quiet sighs of relief.

Later Bonnie presents her with a ring of her very own. She recognizes as her mother's, given to her sister, and then finally her by default. She slips it on her finger and then steps into the light. It feels warm on the skin and she is grateful to Bonnie.

Turning, she finds Elijah standing opposite to her, watching her intently.

When she smiles, there is no mistaking the smile she receives in return.

She quickly steps away from the window. She prefers the moonlight now.


End file.
